AN:

Shit hits the fan in this one.


Tarlokk clenched his fists with anger while his brother eyed him with a scrutinizing glare. "I am NOT linked with that murderer!" The ex-councilman fumed by such an accusation, coming from his brother no less! He would have expected this from the Avatar but not his own brother. It was almost an insult to his pride. What little he had left, anyways.

"Why would you even think that?"

"Look," Noatak paced the room calmly; hands locked to each other behind his back just like his signature pose when he was Amon. "I don't want to accuse, you and I both know that." He stressed over the fact this was a sensitive topic, not just in general but especially more so when it had to do with his younger brother. "But I can't just overlook our possible leads. It's distinctly possible you have become their target without intending to too."

"Why are you even helping the Avatar?" Tarlokk stood from the bed and crossed his arms. Since he found Korra in Noatak's room this morning he didn't necessarily trust the two of them as much as before even if he had little to begin with. The Avatar he could expect it from, but not his older brother. "Is this some kind of retribution for you? Or are you trying to be a suck up to her?"

"This is about the killer, not about the Avatar." Noatak remained stoic even if the topic was frustrating him on the inside. After what just happened minutes ago, the Avatar was the last thing he wanted to think about right now. It was an accident and there was nothing between them at all. If Tarlokk had some kind of idea that something was going on between them, Noatak would erase it quickly before it escalated.

"I have reasons to believe whoever it was who murdered those metalbenders kidnapped that firebender boy for a reason. Why would they kill the rest of them but keep him alive?"

"Mind you that they're metalbenders. Maybe the man has a grudge against earthbenders?" Tarlokk suggested trying to throw out options that weren't already presented yet.

Noatak shook his head thinking against it. It was probably, but unlikely. "Maybe, but I doubt that."

"Maybe he's trying to draw me out?" Both men turned to the door to see Korra standing against the frame, arms crossed and keeping her eye contact on Tarlokk for a particular reason. If she looked at the older brother it was just going to fuel her embarrasement even more. It took her long enough to recompose herself before coming upstairs. Noatak could only grit his teeth at her failure to disobey his orders to stay put and let him handle the talking. By Korra being up here intervening was a mockery to him.

"I thought I told you to stay downstairs." He subjected but Korra ignored him, continuing her direction of dialog towards Tarlokk instead. It was infuriating for them to converse like all is normal but if he tried to counter her response she would keep brushing him off. Tarlokk made nothing of it and was just glad Korra wasn't in a bad mood like earlier today. What was even weirder was how she was treating him like normal regardless of what he's being investigated about. Finally, enough was enough. "Are you planning to keep disregarding my presence, Avatar?" The name slipped unintentionally even if the harsh tone behind it was intended. It was not in his nature to lose his composure so easily like this either. Her attitude was unbecoming and he wanted nothing more than to put her in her place. If she had been one of his eqaulists she would have learned quickly what it meant to earn and lose respect and when to speak.

"Is there a problem here?" Korra muttered, directing the question finally in Noatak's direction. Finally she was talking to him, but not in the way he wanted. He expected the rude attitude but he also hoped she would be discreet about her feelings and act like nothing happened in front of Tarlokk.

'What a cheeky child indeed.'

"I should be the one asking that." Rolling his shoulders from their stiff position from sitting upright too long took its toll and Tarlokk needed to be moving around. It was obvious the atmosphere was an uncomfortable one. What made it all the more strange was the way they were acting towards each other; just like a bickering married couple. "You've been acting strange since this morning." He looked at Korra. He hadn't seen his brother that much besides their conversation about hunting this morning and that was it.

"Don't even bring that up." She shot him a warning glare to stop where he was or so help him she'd give him one in the face. "I already told you what happened so drop it."

"Then what ever could it be that has you so riled up today? Enlighten me." Tarlokk crossed his arms and gave a skeptical look awaiting an answer. It was obvious she was hiding it and the obvious behavior written all over her face was not helping her case.

Sensing that the conversation was escalating into some kind of argument that would turn the tables on her instead of the topic of the killer and Tarlokk's link to it, Korra panicked and tried to hide the rising heat in her face just from the remembrance of Noatak's scent. The last thing she wanted was to look weak in front of these two and succumb to her weakness.

"Ask your stupid brother!" She threw her hands up in the air dramatically in a form of giving up then proceeded to leave just before he could investigate any further. She was not going to be the one to explain her change of attitude when it wasn't even her fault. This was an extremely childish act she was displaying but she didn't care, anything to get away from the memory of Noatak kissing her and having to explain that that was the reason behind her attitude towards him.

Storming outside after hurriedly putting on her boots before either of them could try following her, not that she thought they would anyways, Korra made her way out into the tundra knowing that the storm should be starting up anytime soon. No, she wasn't going to be foolish and wander out. In fact, she didn't really go out at all. Instead she walked to the edge of the porch and sat on the swaying bench connected to the roof. She was used to the chill of the cold – after all she was born in the Southern Water Tribe, such a thing didn't bother her too much. Even though the temperature had dropped drastically, with just a little use of firebending she managed to keep herself internally warm. She was too heated with anger that she wondered if steam was emitting from her. The sun was beginning to set in the horizon and it faintly reminded Korra of her trip to visit family, how bright the sky shown in the winter wonderland.


When Korra returned from her post outside to ward off her thoughts and emotions, feeling vaguely significantly better, she returned to find Tarlokk had already made the two of them dinner and Noatak eyeing her warily from the sofa, his face contempt from her pale white skin. She must have been freezing from being out for so long in that weather. Given such circumstances, he allowed her whatever space she needed. Though he'd be lying if he said he wasn't half expecting her to run away and not come back.

To his surprise, Korra walked right past him and said nothing, only to grab her bag from the floor near the fire and rummage through it. Once finding what she was looking for, she tucked it into her coat pocket and advanced to the kitchen where the smell of chicken-duck soup wafted to her nostrils. Tarlokk was already sitting down at the table with his own bowl, raising his head at the sound of her footsteps entering the room.

He met her gaze silently.

"I'm sorry, for earlier." Korra apologized with calm. With thoughts composed, it was easier to own up for the mistakes.

Tarlokk hesitated for a moment, waiting for a part of her voice to crack, his eyes glancing over to Noatak whose back was turned to them, half expecting him to intervene and throw in an opinion, but he said nothing. Looking back to Korra, it was clear that the apology was not some type of fake only to be said to drop the tension between them all. It was genuine and real, coming from the Avatar herself. There was no mistaking that this was no ploy.

"Apology accepted. Now go get some soup before it gets cold." He said.

It was not written on his face, but the apology had meant a lot to him. For all the time he had known the Avatar, she was always brash and prideful. An apology was hard to come by when it came to her. She was too in over her head to believe she ever did anything wrong. Her opinion was held highly, which he wondered if it would be her downfall one day. Being the Avatar meant she had to listen to all spectrums, not just believe in her own.

When she poured herself a bowl, it was gone almost instantly. The appetite must have built itself up all day without her even noticing. She even managed to skip through lunch already, enabling her to take a second helping of said dish. There was quite a bit, probably intended for leftovers.

Once she was finished and placed her bowl into the sink, the eldest brother stood. "I'd like to have a discussion with you."

"Right, of course." Korra responded instinctively, already knowing where this conversation was going to lead. It was a touchy subject after all but she wanted confirmation on the reasoning behind it all. Of course Noatak wanted a word with her.

Noatak looked almost gratified that she was willing to cooperate and waited hesistantly at the stairs for her to follow. Turning to Tarlokk, he held his hands behind his back patiently. "If something gets broken don't worry to pay for expenses." The warning was practical and they both knew it. If Korra was set into another blind rage there was no doubt something was likely to get scorched or torn apart – and he had a feeling that was going to include either the walls from firebending or the structure of the house from earthbending.

They left the room, drawing along upstairs and it was clear that a heated discussion was about to take place once Tarlokk heard the faint sound of a door close behind them and all further words spoken tuned out.

Noatak closed the door to his bedroom while Korra padded across the room but did not bother to take a seat on the bed, merely folding her arms hoping this will get over with as quickly as possible. "Well?" she waited.

"Tarlokk seems to have the impression there is a loop he is not involved in."

Korra snorted, one hand pressed to her temples on either side. "He is misinformed."

"My sentiments exactly." Noatak padded the room, stopping to stand at ease. "The man is smart, I give him that, but gravely mistaken." Tarlokk was a politician, or use to be. Of course he was smart. It's not that he had never given his brother credit for his superb wits but there were also things that he believed he saw that did not exist. That exact thing is what was causing trouble in the household.

"He's jumping to conclusions based on what he saw, which as we're clear on, was a misinterpretation." She closed her eyes and let out a sigh.

"He has the distinct impression there is something between us that we're not telling him, whether it's plotting or something else, something more."

Korra scoffed. "He's made it very clear to being the latter. Twice he's tried interrogating me on the matter when there's nothing to discuss to begin with."

"Yes well, he has also tried weaseling information out of me while you left." It irritated him that she ran from their discussion beforehand in a form of not owning up to her responsibilities. It was also not very fair to leave him with a curious Tarlokk alone, even if he was an adult who could hold his own.

"I wouldn't have left if you hadn't have done what you did earlier!" Protesting, just the remembrance left a red streak across her face. It was unfair to plague her with the guilt alone when it wasn't hers to bear to begin with. This was her doing, not hers. "If you just hadn't done that–"

Noatak smirked seeing the disdain written all over her. "Don't flatter yourself. The first time was an accident led by Tarlokk opening the door and the second to shut you up. You know as well as I how badly things would have ended had he seen that."

"He just as may have! He's already insinuating that we have something going on between us," Korra stressed and clenched her fist from all the arrogance being displayed. "You act like this is no big deal!"

"Because it is not, Avatar."

"Stop doing that!" By calling her that it was just putting more distance between them and putting up a wall that they were working on breaking down between two former enemies. They may just as well be enemies all over again if this was to continue.

"There is nothing going on, so why act upon it? By making a huge fuss it is only fueling the fire."

Was he for real? Was he seriously being this oblivious to how she felt about it? Now she could see the Amon side of him surfacing and it was fueling her fire. "Forget it. I don't see how anyone even gets through to you. Followers, sure. But if you keep up with it, you'll never have friends."

"This isn't about friends."

"Then what IS it about, Noatak? Because surely it's not about that kiss that you seem to act so oblivious to!" Perhaps he wouldn't give her the courtesy of calling her by her name but she felt it was appropriate to use his without sinking to his level.

Noatak rubbed the back of his neck. "This is about clearing the air. The topic does not weigh on me but it does you. So here we are talking about it." The stoic expression never wavered even once.

'Here you are avoiding it is more like it.'

"Do you want to know how it makes me feel?"

He nodded.

"Confused!" She threw her arms in the air in exasperation. "To be honest, I don't know what to make of it. I shouldn't be feeling like this because it's wrong," she paced the room, the faint feeling of his lips on hers threatening to resurface in her brain. It was better than any kiss she had with Mako in the past when they dated. Now that Mako was back on her mind, it just fueled even more emotions, and this was not the time to be thinking about her kidnapped friend.

"And what is it that you are feeling that is wrong?" He had a pretty good idea of it but he'd rather her come straight forward with it rather than beating around the bush. His ability to read people did not go unnoticed.

Korra's face lit up like a Christmas tree in seconds. Was she actually going to make her admit it to him? If it wasn't obvious before, it was now. But there were no words to voice what she was feeling or to answer him with. She was a jumbled mess and knew the consequences.

Her lack of response urged him to pry more, and he did. "Are you implying I am to return to Tarlokk with a different answer other than what I had intended?"

"And what would that be?"

"Quite obvious." Noatak padded forward towards her, uncrossed his locked hands behind his back only to lift her chin up with an index finger and thumb to bring their eyes to lock. "That our esteemed Avatar has feelings she charters all over her face." Yes, he knew she was in denial, why else was she acting so cruelly before? So edgy on the subject. "Tell me I'm wrong…"

Korra blushed considerably and jerked her head back to break from his grip. "Whatever it is you're insinuating, you're wrong, pal!" She huffed and attempted to recompose herself but was failing utterly.

"Then that settles it," he deadpanned, stepping back. "I suppose Tarlokk was correct. He expressed his concerns the moment you fled hours ago, but now it is clear the only reason you're acting out of manor is because that boy was kidnapped. That is why everything is so confusing to you."

Just like a drowning fish, Korra was finding it hard to breathe for air when he was making all these assumptions and giving her hardly any time to respond properly. Stuff like this took time; she couldn't just give him the answers he wanted right on the spot. "Mako has nothing to do with why I'm so flustered, you are!" While yes Mako played a large part in her current predicament being stuck in the Northern Water Tribe, it played no effect to her love life, and that is where both brothers were interpreting it wrong. "I'm sick and tired of Tarlokk bringing him up so much. Yes, I'm upset he's kidnapped, why wouldn't I be? But there is nothing between us anymore and I wish he would understand that."

Noatak didn't have a hard time believing her; though he had a feeling she partially doubted her abilities to give out the full extent of the truth. Something she was holding back but wasn't throwing into the conversation. "You're lying to yourself of what you want. What is it you want, Korra?" There was that perceptive aptitude of his again. He hit the nail exactly, and she was in complete disarray.

"I…I don't know…I want my friend safe and unharmed, I want these killings to stop! I just want to do what I was meant to do. And being here…"

"The ferry should be arriving tomorrow." He pointed out to help ease her tension. Perhaps that would help lighten things up but it had not, only by little.

"I get that!" She moved from standing in the middle of the room to leaning against the wall for support and crossing one leg over the other with folded arms. "But I still have no idea what I'll be going up against. A cannibal for spirits sake!" The prospect almost managed to arise a bit of laughter but faltered as quickly as the idea arose. "And that waterbender who wiped out all those men. Neither of them has been caught yet…I don't know what to think of it…"

"You are the Avatar, if you were able to stop Amon, I do not doubt your abilities in taking down these two."

It was still hard to believe this was Amon standing before her. The very man who had given her nightmares in the past and been her greatest enemy, and now here they were here, stuck with each other and Tarlokk in a home until tomorrow. Tomorrow she and Tarlokk would be able to leave. It would be the last time she'd see him.

"And what about you? Are you just going to stay here until you grow old by yourself alone?"

He nodded. "I have no intentions of leaving and I partake in no obligations that should enable me to leave. The world does not need me."

"And what if I need you? You could help as an asset taking them down. So could Tarlokk."

"Tarlokk no longer has his bending nor do I intend to fight a battle that is not mine." Noatak stated without compunction.

If there was any emotion in his face before, now it was completely gone and drained from his face. His intentions stood firm and he had no intentions of being in the spotlight when it is already proclaimed that he is dead. If he did decide to work with her, it would be as an inside source hiding in the shadows, and even then the idea was skeptical. "You cannot persuade me."

"Are you sure about that one?" She tested her voice to a higher pitch, enforcing a snarl in defiance to revel in her ability to persuade. In a brief moment, she tore down the distance between them and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him flush to her body to look him dead in the eyes. Their faces close enough to breath in each others air. "Loneliness is a horrible feeling. If you come with us you won't have to live a life in solitude. I think Tarlokk would appreciate his brother around."

The man could only smirk, not at all uncomfortable with this closeness. In fact, he relished in the adrenaline coursing through his body at such a move made fueling him to correspond with a play of his own. "And what will the Avatar feel about the former Amon's presence being around if I were to say...Join your ranks?"

"She would accept Noatak as he is now, not the man he use to be."

The answer seemed to please him, his hand slithering to the small of her back and holding her in a vice like grip, the same one he had used when forcefully pinning her against the wall earlier today. He made no advance to kiss her. No type of trick. They merely were instilled in one another's glances and stood in each others presence without wavering. And then he said, "I'll think about it. But I make no promises."


AN:

Song is Nothing by Aeon Spoke

What am I doing to these poor characters? Oh well.

I have the plot set, but I know I need to roll into that Amorra too, so I'm making up for chapters that don't include that much. xD Thank you also for the reviews and favorites. ^^